Trauma-Informed Responses to Emotional Distress and Crisis

NCDVTMH’s webinar series on Trauma-Informed Responses to Emotional Distress and Crisis is designed to support DV/SA advocates in partnering with survivors experiencing emotional distress, mental health crises, and/or psychiatric disabilities. The series provides an opportunity to explore existing frameworks for thinking about trauma and mental health and to examine our understandings of crisis and distress. It reminds us that we are talking about people and the complex courses of their lives, not about categories, labels, or diagnoses. Finally, it discusses the knowledge, skills, practices, and reflective processes needed to support people with a wide range of experiences of distress and ways of coping and being in the world.

This webinar will engage participants in thinking through what helps when someone is experiencing emotional distress. We will look at the factors that shape how we respond to distress and crisis and discuss both individual and organizational strategies to respond to distress in trauma-informed ways.

To listen to this Webinar, click the link below and follow the instructions on the page.

This webinar will engage participants in considering community-based mental health peer support services as a resource to support people in our programs who are experiencing emotional distress. We will look at the alignment between domestic and sexual violence advocacy work and the principles and practices of peer support. We will also consider opportunities for cross-training, effective partnering and trauma-informed support for survivors.

To listen to this Webinar, click the link below and follow the instructions on the page.

New Horizons Shelter and Outreach CentersDistrict Alliance for Safe Housing

Part 3 in our series on responding to Mental Health Crisis.
In this webinar, leaders from programs that support survivors of domestic and sexual violence will offer examples of trauma-informed program policies created to provide guidance for staff, to offer consistently accessible services, to avoid “screening out” those in need, and to support a range of survivors’ experiences and expressions of distress. Come join our panel for this timely discussion of practical policy approaches.

To listen to this Webinar, click the link below and follow the instructions on the page.

Responding to Mental Health Crisis: Trauma-Informed Strategies to Support Connection and Emotional Safety

Given the experiences of domestic violence and sexual assault, survivor responses that involve emotional distress and mental health challenges are common occurrences in our service settings. Survivors are the best source of direct information to provide guidance about what they need to feel that our services are emotionally safe, supportive and helpful. However, there are also times when people are in distress and can’t tell us what they need. This webinar will provide strategies to offer emotional safety, support and comfort when people are in distress and in the moment, are unable to let us know what would be helpful.

To listen to this Webinar, click the link below and follow the instructions on the page.

Responding to Mental Health Crisis: The What and Whys of Self-injury

Monday, May 22 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm (CDT)

This presentation will explore what we mean when we refer to “self-injury” and why people self-injure. It will also speak to the role of trauma and how we can move beyond common misconceptions about self-injury to better understand and support people in our services.

Sera Davidow has been the Director of Western Mass Recovery Learning Community since it’s inception in 2007. She is also a part of the statewide Certified Peer Specialist training team, a filmmaker, and a regular blogger for Mad in America, as well as a mother of two and wife of one. Sera also identifies as a survivor of trauma, including trauma experienced both within and outside of the mental health system. Sera speaks on a wide range of topics including (but not limited to):

In our services it sometimes feels uncomfortable to initiate conversations with survivors about mental health challenges and psychiatric diagnosis and about medication and other approaches to treatment. Our own views and our experiences with mental health systems can contribute to misunderstandings and disconnection for people we intend to assist. This webinar will consider ways to approach these conversations that are transparent about our intentions, support learning about individual preferences, and are respectful of the range of views people have about what they believe is helpful.

To listen to this Webinar, click the link below and follow the instructions on the page.

**New Webinar Tracking Tool!**

We have created a simple tool to help you keep track of the webinars that you have attended and watched. This tool is currently a Word document and can either be printed or saved directly to your computer. We will update the tool as we add new webinar series.